Devastating toll as ‘demolition’ threat of mining town lingers

What used to a bustling community has all but become an eerie ghost town, but the remaining locals aren’t going down without a fight.

Memories alone will soon be all that remain of a bustling, safe and happy community which is on a fast track to be wiped from the map without immediate, meaningful intervention.

Felicity and Shane Niethe and their teenage kids Deklin and Piper are one of the last families standing in Glenden, southwest of Mackay in Central Queensland, after its population dwindled from more than 600 to just a few dozen in recent years.

The Niethes got married in Glenden and the town is all their kids Deklin and Piper know, but the household faces an uncertain future as the life of their beloved home hangs in the balance.

Glenden was established 40 years ago by Swiss multinational Glencore for workers of the company’s Newlands coal mine, but with the last of the coal being pulled last year, a rigorous “rehabilitation” phase has been entered.

Once the phase has run its course, over the next five to six years, it is feared Glenden will be nothing more than a bunch of paddocks in the middle of nowhere.

The distressing possibility has motivated its small but passionate community into a boisterous campaign to “Save Glenden”. Locals are taking aim at a Supreme Court decision to not force incoming mining company QCoal to utilise Glenden instead of building its own camp.

Glenden (medical centre pictured) is a ghost town compared to its former glory. Picture: Supplied

With the doctor’s surgery, post office and library the only businesses remaining open, and a dismal 40 homes out of about 300 currently occupied, the Neithe family have had to make some tough decisions.

“Our school’s dying and we’re going to have to now send our daughter to boarding school to attend Year 10, 11 and 12, because our school just can’t provide the curriculum that she’s going to need to progress in her life,” Mrs Niethe told news.com.au.

For Piper, that meant up to 10 weeks away from home at a time at school in either Mackay or Townsville – a tough idea for a child who has previously only had about four days away from home before.

“I’ve lived here for 25 years so it’s my home. I met my husband, got married and had a family here. We’ve never had any need to leave but it’s getting so small, we can see why we might have to, for our kids,” Mrs Niethe said.

“It’s hard to see Glenden dwindling so much from what it was to what it is.”

Glenden is home to Shane (left), Piper (front), Deklin (back) and Felicity Niethe. Picture: Supplied

Just 40 of the 300-odd homes in the town are occupied. Picture: Google

She argued it made no sense that families connected to other surrounding mines could not be offered homes in Glenden to help revive it back to its former glory.

“Glenden is dying and I don’t understand why when there’s so much potential,” she said.

Only about 20 homes in Glenden were privately owned, while the majority were owned by Glencore and a few had been acquired by QCoal.

Despite locals, including the Niethes, indicating their desire to buy their homes off Glencore, the company remains bound by the terms of its contractual agreement to fully rehabilitate the land it built on.

And, despite the dire predicament and their four-hour round trip to get groceries, the family has remained staunch in its commitment to staying, even if it means they’re the last standing.

“We have always said, we’ll be the ones to flick off the power because it’s going to take that much for us to get up and leave,” Mrs Niethe said.

“Neither of us know where we want to go.”

Fellow local Milissa Payne, who moved to Glenden in 1982 when her dad was contracted to help build the town, refused to consider a future in which the town didn’t exist.

In November she was forced to close her general store, which she operated for a decade, after the population of roughly 350 families shrunk to about 40.

Ms Payne described a bustling town whizzing with every sporting club and community group one could imagine – the cafes and restaurants were always packed out and the roads were brimming with cars.

Milissa Payne had to close the general store that she operated for a decade.

Aerial image of Glenden when the town opened in 1983.

“Now, we have nothing,” she told news.com.au.

“It breaks my heart to think of Glenden not being saved … where will I get to say I’m from? It won’t exist. Where will my kids get to say they’re from? It is a heartbreaking and devastating thought.”

Ms Payne buried her firstborn daughter, Dakota, in Glenden 26 years ago and held deep concern for what would happen to her should the town be wiped out.

“Eventually what will I end up with? A gravestone in the middle of the cow paddock? I bought my plots there, along with a few others, to go beside my daughter,” she said.

“I just can’t comprehend the stupidity of this. We shouldn’t be fighting over it. This town could have a life after Newlands if the state government wanted it to.”

Among the desperate chorus of voices begging for help saving Glenden is a large group of young children, imploring those in power to not destroy the only home they have known.

“These families know that if we lose this fight, they’re going to have to live on the coast and dad or mum is going to have to work away seven days a week, and that’s a scary thing for a lot of people,” Ms Payne said.

Glencore told news.com.au it was open to handing over the funding responsibilities of Glenden to QCoal at the completion of its obligations.

“Glencore indicated that we were happy to consider alternative proposals for the Glenden community services which were consistent with meeting and funding our statutory obligations,” a spokesperson said.

“We are of the view that Glenden requires an ‘anchor tenant’ who is willing to support the town. Glencore would welcome an agreement between QCoal and the Queensland Government which would see the community of Glenden continue.

“In the absence of another anchor tenant prepared to support Glenden, Glencore has statutory obligations to rehabilitate the town post mining. Glencore has no immediate plans to demolish housing at Glenden as we await the outcome of discussions between the local council, QCoal and the Queensland Government.”

QCoal has been contacted by news.com.au for comment.

Originally published as Devastating toll as ‘demolition’ threat of mining town lingers